NBA Draft: Darryn Peterson Amid Rough Stretch for Kansas

All season long, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has been penciled in as the potential No. 1 pick, even in a 2026 draft class that’s believed to have as many as three No. 1-level prospects.

On night’s where he’s on, it’s easy to envision NBA stardom or even superstardom, hitting smooth 3-pointers at 6-foot-5, making the game look effortless on both ends.

Problem being, those nights have been few and far between for several weeks now.

Since subbing himself out against Oklahoma State, Peterson has now played 30-plus minutes in four-straight games. Though his efficiency and play in totality has taken a hit, the worst being his Tuesday-night outing against Arizona State.

The Sun Devils are far from the best opponent Kansas has played in an all-time Big 12 conference this season, but the Jayhawks still misstepped, losing 70-60. Peterson himself was certainly a part of that, shooting just 3-for-18 overall, though he added 10 rebounds, four assists to three turnovers and five steals.

All 18 of Darryn Peterson’s field goal attempts versus Arizona State: pic.twitter.com/q7v2FfGWuu
— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) March 4, 2026

Peterson settled plenty against ASU, shooting just 2-for-11 from beyond the arc, and his driving and handling hasn’t seemed to catch up following his extended bout with injuries.

And these woes have extended several games back. He hasn’t shot better than 41% from the field since Feb. 21 against Cincinnati, shooting 36% against No. 5 Houston and 38% against No. 2 Arizona. Those teams are highly talented defensive products, though many expected a bounce-back against Arizona State, which ultimately didn’t happen.

Even worse for his draft case — which is still great by all accounts – his counterparts continue to be stellar all over the floor. Dybantsa has seen some similar ebbs and flows this season, though not quite to the lows Peterson has, and has showcased premier three-level scoring upside with BYU. Duke’s Cameron Boozer has been the picture of nearly unprecedented consistency and output for the Blue Devils, averaging 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

So where does that leave Peterson’s stock?

There’s virtually no chance he’ll go lower than third outside of some shocking injury revelations, which seem to be somewhat in the rearview mirror. The odds are NBA teams will be thinking about this long-term, and could very much consider him the second or even top prospect based on his prior and overall body of work.

If organzation do come to the conclusion he has better on-ball ability than his lone season at Kansas has advertised, they'll be more than willing to spend the No. 1 pick on him.

For now, Peterson and his Kansas teammates will look to get the car back on the road in their final regular-season bout against Kansas State.